Beacon Café
by Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh
Summary: Jaune's application to Beacon has been rejected, but this won't stop him from achieving his dreams. He wanted to enter Beacon... and so he will. A maybe make a few friends along the way. And he will also discover just how far can a man go for his coffee.
1. Chapter 1

**_Both my other RWBY stories in Remnant have Jaune entering Beacon... but what if he didn't? This has been ispired by_** Service with a Smile ** _by_** Coeur Al'Aran ** _, that is a very remarkable story indeed. I can't wait for it to continue, and in the meantime... I write!_**

 _Respectable Mr Arc,_

 _In response to Your application to the Huntsmen Academy of Beacon, in Vale, we are sorry to inform You that Your transcripts have been judged insufficient for attending our Academy. Thereafter we regret to inform You that Your application has been rejected, and that unfortunately You won't be attending our school this year, although we fervently hope to hear from You again next year._

 _We wish You our best regards,_

 _Professor Glynda Goodwitch._

The letter had been left in his pocket since the moment he'd first read it aloud to his sister, and thus almost an hour before. _Rejected_... not that he had gotten his hopes too high. He would've been more surprised to have been accepted into Beacon with his current combat training... that was honestly nil. He was good at brawls with other _civilians_ thanks to his troublesome older sisters, who had always dragged him along to pubs and similar only for him to have to fight on their side against some guys, and he had had a very basic training for sword and shield, but Huntsmen needed to be just _exceptional_ at combat.

He sighed and dropped his head on the table. Who was he kidding? It was clear as day he was upset by the rejection, although the fact it was expected was also true. Strangely, he wasn't angry. Professor Goodwitch was just doing her job, and the Headmaster was, too. They hadn't done it out of malice or just to spite him. They didn't even know him. They'd given him the same respect they had given to every other applier, and it just so happened he wasn't good enough. He was sad, and partly angry at himself for even trying attending an Academy, something he _knew_ he couldn't do. And now Crocea Mors hung uselessly from his hip, and the family armour Crocea Vitae -his father had agreed for him to take it all, and not just the chestplate- he was wearing weighed him down even more than usual.

He had told his twin sister Joan, with who he had been sharing an apartment for the last few months, as soon as the letter had arrived. They had opened it together... although the result had been less surprising and more saddening than they'd expected. His sister had insisted for him to distract himself from moping around, and she had pushed him into a club they knew and were familiar with. Her boyfriend had tried to complain for being left alone by her on a date night, but Joan had simply told him that brothers came before boyfriends. When he had tried to reply, she had abruptly broken up with him on the phone, in a brutal and efficient manner she had been taught by the eldest Arc sister. Jaune had felt guilty for forcing his sister to break up with her boyfriend, but deep inside he was happy: that guy had always been a little too much for him to bear. Too forward with his sister, too cocky, too smartass... Fortunately now it was over.

Except it was over because he had a problem. Joan had always told him that the best to do when you want to drown your sorrows in alcohol was to go into a pub, order something _non-alcoholic_ and make conversation. Drunks had the time to get drunk because they didn't speak much _before_ getting drunk, but after. And so there they were, at Junior's, drinking one of the best sodas in Vale and in the worst mood for it, too. Joan had opted for something simple, but she had also decided for a friendly company.

"How're you faring, kid?", asked Junior as he cleaned one of the glasses on the counter. "I knew how much you wanted to enter Beacon... I'm sorry they are too dickheads to realize your potential".

"It's fine, Junior, I'm just a bit down right now", he shrugged, taking a sip from his soda. Junior had adamantly refused to let them pay for it, saying that if it could help him, then it was well spent. "Besides, you don't have to lie. I know what they wrote it's true: I'm not qualified to be a Huntsman".

"Not _right now_ , Jaune, but maybe you'll be in the future", replied Miltia, frowning. "Or you could just leave it be. After all, you're far too nice to be a Huntsman. I bet you'd have your conscience stop you killing a Beowolf just because it looks pathetic when you're going to kill it".

Jaune arched an eyebrow. "Wow, that's a lot of trust", he remarked dryly. "Thanks Miltia".

"It's just about right, though", she continued. "Not because of conscience, but I think you would have problems against a Beowolf... I think".

"Really, guys, it's not such a big deal", he snorted. "I'm just a bit down today. It'll get better... eventually".

"Hey, kid, if you ever need help or advice, just come here", offered Junior, putting down the glass he was cleaning and picking up another one. "And remember that I still have that job ready for you, if you want it".

"Thank you Junior, but becoming a lap dancer isn't exactly how I envisioned my future", he laughed heartily. "Besides, I think my parents might murder the five of us if they were to hear what you just said".

Junior's face went a little paler than usual. "Oh dear", was all he said.

Joan laughed aloud at his sudden nervousness and punched him on the arm. "Don't worry, Big J, we're not gonna say a word to our parents about this. As far as they know, Jaune just got rejected. Nothing more". Her mirth tuned down. "Although that's not something little to deal with...".

"Joan, don't worry, people fail all the time. On my first try, was I expected to be the best Huntsman ever? Hell, I didn't even expect the Headmaster to actually _read_ my transcripts". He laughed, and it wasn't as hollow as he thought it sounded. "Come on, Joan. Junior, if you may set on the music, I'd like to dance a bit".

Everyone smiled at that. Well, actually Joan smiled, because she knew how good at dancing her brother was. Junior, Melanie and Miltia grinned as wide as they could, because they knew Jaune's skills would only get them more tips and more orders all thorough the evening. Especially because when Jaune decided to dance, it was usually impossible to get him to stop before a good hour or two, and once Junior had seen him wear out five partners in a row before stopping for a break. Inwardly, he sighed: the boy was incredible, really, and his skillset was unbelievably vast, but he just wasn't cut out to be a Huntsman. Or at least his skills weren't the right ones to be a Hunstman.

Jaune stood up and finished his soda with a last sip, too fast for him to choke on it, before offering a hand to Joan. "It's been a while since last time, sis. Are you still good in the dancing field, or has your journalist-ness taken that away?".

"I'm still good", she replied, and then shrugged when Junior raised an eyebrow. "Not as good as Jaune, but I'm good".

"Hard to beat him when you work all day", nodded Melanie, and then seemed to perk up a little. "Wait, speaking of dancing... weren't you going on a date night with Victor, today?".

"Broke up with him", she responded nonchalantly. "He tried to put himself between two Arcs, and he found out he wasn't strong enough".

Junior winced at the thought. "Did you beat him up?".

"I had more important things to do. I broke up on the phone", she replied with a light huff. "Let's see if I can hold my own on the dance floor. Shall we?".

Jaune offered her a crooked smile and nodded.

The two of them danced for a good while together before parting and searching for companions. Like usual, Jaune danced with Melanie and Miltia, at the same time of course, a feat he'd practised during the months he had been frequenting the pub. Joan preferred to dance with some of Junior's employees, a couple of which were even good at dancing, before offering Junior a dance. Leaving the counter to one of his men, the man accepted with an amused smirk. After Melanie, Miltia and Junior had left the two Arcs alone, they returned to dance with each other until they stopped, almost at midnight. They had been dancing for two hours straight.

"Jaune, are you alright?".

"I am, why?".

"Because it took you an hour more than usual to stop dancing", she replied with worry. "Either you were thinking, or you were musing over your rejection. Do you want us to go home?".

"I think it would be better, since you have work tomorrow, and I...", he hesitated, before steeling himself and nodding to no one. "Yeah, I can do this. I have something to do tomorrow, too, so please let's go home".

Joan frowned at him, but she let him be. He had never pried too much -keywords being _too much_ \- in her personal business, and she had returned the action with just as fervour. They could keep secrets from each other safely and comfortably... although since they were twins, their secrets rarely lasted more than a couple of days.

Just as they exited the pub, Jaune stopped and seemed to think about something before calling out. "Junior, could I borrow your motorbike, in a couple of weeks? I'll let you know the date, if you can".

"Usual price?".

"Usual price".

"Let me know".

#####

As he guided the motorbike through Beacon's courtyard, he felt somewhat awkward. He had his armour and weapons on, so he looked like a regular Hunstman or student of Beacon, but his seemingly chivalrous appearance was completely shattered by the black and white badass motorbike he was driving. Idly, he took a note to never again use Junior's bike to reach Beacon. He had done it so to avoid taking a dreaded Bullhead, but now he was stuck with a very badass motorbike and zero badassery himself, and that was almost worse than motion sickness.

He left it in one of the parking lots outside the courtyard, and awkwardly walked inside, his eyes darting around and widening in panic. He had chosen the day of the student's arrival to "blend in" and pass unnoticed, but he sure as Hell wasn't exactly comfortable with pretending to be what he had failed to become. His guts stirred in a tiny pang of sadness, but he squashed it and waited for the landing of the Bullhead, sitting on one of the many benches disseminated through the entire school grounds. The airborn monster was quickly and efficiently docking, and the mere sight of it made his stomach flip in disgust. When he was aboard, it was sickness. When he was on the ground... it was disgust for the deathtraps those planes were.

The doors of the passenger area opened and immediately a huge mass of Huntsmen-and-Huntresses-to-be flowed out of the plane into the courtyard. He fought back a grimace. Had he been a little better, he would've been with them, and even his hatred for Bullheads was nothing if compared to his desire to attend Beacon. As they walked past him, he stood up and began wandering towards the atrium, or wherever they were heading to. Before he could go too far, he heard an explosion resounding right behind him. Unsure of what to do, he turned and saw a girl in red standing with an apologetic expression in front of a girl in grey... no wait, a girl in white covered in ashes and smoking slightly.

He cocked an eyebrow at their bickering, and his eyebrow went even further up his forehead when he noticed the small crater at the girl-in-white feet. When a girl in black stepped in, only to anger White more, a grin slowly made his way to his face. It was better than at theatre, and free of costs. After Black evidently said something offensive towards White, White turned and stormed off, chin up and outrage written all over her face. Red called after her, but when she didn't respond, she sighed and turned to Black to try and speak to her, only to find out that Black had sauntered off as well, leaving her alone in the courtyard. With a defeated sigh, Red slumped and let herself fall on the ground, muttering something terribly similar to a sarcastic "Welcome to Beacon".

Jaune felt pity for the poor girl. She hadn't done anything to be so down. Also, he had the creepy sensation that he would've messed up much worse, had he been admitted into Beacon in the first place. Fighting down a grimace at the thought, he walked up to the girl.

"Hi. I'm Jaune", he said. Inwardly, he cringed at how tired and awkward he had sounded. He had to control his rejection better.

"I'm Ruby", she said with a little, awkward laugh, as she accepted the hand he was offering her and got up. "I... don't think I saw you on the ship. Were you on the Bullhead?".

 _'Lielielielielie'_ , his brain said. His mouth disagreed, though. "No, I wasn't. I have motion sickness, so those are kind of deathtraps for me".

"Oh. So...", she looked around, trying to see a bus or something. "How did you get here?".

"I borrowed a motorbike from a friend of mine", he shrugged. "Shouldn't you get going? You should be at the atrium soon".

 _'Strange'_ , she thought. _'He's nice, but it's almost like he's trying to get rid of me'_.

"I have no idea of where to go", she lied shamelessly.

"Fortunately, all the other students here do", he replied, and she was caught. "Let's just follow the stream".

She nodded as she walked beside him. "So... why did you help me up?", she asked.

"You looked down. The same friend who lent me the bike is always there for me when I'm down. It's actually how I met him in the first place". He shrugged. "And besides, like my mother likes to say, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet".

Ruby blinked. That was a very good piece of advice... even if Weiss seemed to be the exception.

"So...", she shuffled on her feet, awkwardly. Then she got the right idea and pulled out Crescent Rose from her back and unfolded it into full scythe form. Jaune startled and leapt back. "I got this thing...".

"Is that a scythe?", he asked, a bit nervous at being alone in the courtyard with a girl who had just exploded, and who was wielding a scythe twice her size and at least matching in weight.

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle", she replied.

"Uhh...". She had lost him. He had caught the general meaning of what it was, and so a very precise rifle with very big bullets, but he didn't know _exactly_ what that meant. He wasn't a weapon expert, after all.

"It's also a gun", she said as she loaded a shell, coming to his rescue. Then she cheered up and smiled. "What have _you_ got?".

"Eh... I got the sword and the shield", he said as he patted at hand on Crocea Mors. "And I got the armour".

"Ohh... and what do they do?", she asked, her eyes bright with interest.

He frowned. "They do nothing... they're just a sword, a shield and a full plate", he replied. "My grand-grand-grandfather used them in the War... it's kind of a family heirloom. My father let me take it since I'm the first and only male among my siblings... and although I think that's kinda sexist, I can't say I would give it back".

He inwardly groaned at all his rambling, but Ruby seemed to lit up even more. "That's good... where is the atrium?". Her enthusiasm died almost immediately.

Mentally facepalming, Jaune looked around. "I don't know. I was following you".

Ruby shrugged and grabbed his wrist, sprinting towards the large building in the centre of the courtyard. Idly, he wondered where the rose petals came from, but any thought apart from holding on for dear life were banished as he realized that Ruby was probably running faster than a car. His eyes widened for a second before he was slammed into the crimsonette thanks to her stopping dead in her tracks. They both crashed to the ground, but Jaune managed to avoid falling on her. While she might've had Aura, it was also true that he was a healthy seventeen-year-old boy wearing full armour. Also, he had to save his backpack. If his plan was to work, he would have needed it later.

Eventually, he managed to lose her when they entered the atrium and a tall blonde called her. Sighing half in relief, half in regret of having to see her go, he began to move towards one of the walls or a corner, like a tall redhead had already done in the left corner, but then told himself that to pass unnoticed by the students, he had to act like a normal student. Luckily, there was no rule in Beacon banning the civilians from its grounds, and he had been allowed to walk around freely as long as he didn't disturb in class nor bother the students.

He listened only with a tenth of his mind to Ozpin's speech, and focused on the man. Studied him like a predator studied its prey. He seemed to like coffee, from what he could tell by the mug in his hands. Good. He also looked really authoritarian, and he didn't miss the intelligence in the back of his eyes. That was a man he should never challenge, combat or discussion, unless he wanted to receive the defeat of the millennium. After him came a young-looking woman with a very stern expression and a severe voice. He took a couple of mental notes on her, too.

As the students waved towards the ballroom, he separated from the main stream and walked straight past the ones hanging in the back, recognizing Black from the courtyard and the redhead from earlier in the atrium. They both looked at him with a slight frown, clearly puzzled as to why was he heading away. He responded with a nod and headed off, in the corridors, trying to remember the right way to the Headmaster's office. Eventually, he managed to get it right, and he found himself face-to-door with a very bland-looking elevator. He had read somewhere that the Headmaster's office was in the Tower, so he just shrugged and entered the elevator.

As it took him up to the office, Jaune idly wondered if he should've asked for an appointment, and quickly decided against it. Ozpin didn't have a secretary, so it meant he didn't want to have people asking for appointments. That meant he himself couldn't be blamed for not having an appointment. The Headmaster should've thought that people _could_ have wanted to meet him, and meeting him by chance in the school, although common, wasn't enough for Jaune. As the doors of the elevator opened before him, he found himself in a large, spacious room with a beautiful view over Beacon. There was a large desk in the middle of the room, and a man was sitting behind it, his back to the window, regarding Jaune with a mildly amused and mildly surprised expression.

"Headmaster Ozpin", he said politely, bowing his head and stepping in the room. "I'd like a word with you".

"What's your name, young man?", asked Ozpin, frowning slightly. "My memory can be failing me, but I think to have seen you in the atrium today. Why aren't you with your companions? Glynda should be doing a tour of the school, right now".

"Although I may be dressed as a student, I'm not, sir", replied Jaune, making his frown increase. "I'm a civilian, as you would say. And I'd like a word".

"Who are you?".

"My name is Jaune Arc". He sighed as the Headmaster showed a tiniest hint of surprise. He probably remembered the letter. It hadn't been so long before, after all. "Yes, I applied to Beacon and I was rejected".

"I see", hummed Ozpin, his frown never leaving his face. "Do you... hold a grudge against me?".

"I guess I'd want to, but I can't blame you for doing your job right. Even back when I sent the application, I knew my chances were more than slim. They were barely existing. My training is next to zero and I probably wouldn't have survived a month in this school". His voice held no anger nor judgement, but inside the familiar sadness was making itself known again. "I guess I should even thank you for avoiding me to die in such as stupid way".

"So you gave up?", asked Ozpin, and Jaune idly wondered how did they ended up talking about that when he wanted to talk about something else entirely. Still, he answered, even if just out of politeness.

"No, sir. I still want to be a Huntsman, and I will probably always want. But since this chance has failed, I can't just stand by and do nothing", he replied. "Besides, my second dream was to just enter Beacon, so I can say that has been fulfilled, at least. And this brings me to the matter I wanted to discuss with you".

"Fill me in, Mr Arc", said the Headmaster, who was now clearly more interested than before.

"Please, call me Jaune. I'm not a student, and if I everything goes alright, I won't be a stranger either. Spare "Mr Arc" for my father, thank you", he smiled weakly. "The reason I am here now is because, as I said, one of my dreams was to enter Beacon".

"And I guess you managed to make it come true, Mr... Jaune". He seemed to taste the word, as if to judge it better or worse than Mr Arc.

"Yes, I have. But as dreams always are, it's not enough. I want to be able to stay. And before you say anything, I don't mean as a student. I mean as an employee". Ozpin closed his mouth. That was interesting indeed. "I'm not a teacher, that much I think you guessed. But I've done some research, and I think I found something you clearly miss here at Beacon. One of the reasons for which students are always so happy to visit Vale whenever they can".

"And what would that be?", asked the Headmaster. _'He's not ready to be a Huntsman, but he has a Hell of a will. Seventeen, and ready to work. He kinda reminds me of myself'_.

"I'm sorry if this displeases you, and I don't mean it to offend, but this school is boring its students to death with its choice of food and entertainment".

Ozpin's frown intensified, but not because he was angry, and not even because Jaune was wrong. It intensified because deep down, he knew he was right. "Go on".

"I've done some research, as I said, and many students here have reported Beacon's faults. One of the most common, apart from a normal share of bullism, is that the school is boring, outside its lessons. Everyone has to think of what to do by themselves, and most of the times this leads them to Vale in search of entertainment". Ozpin nodded. Sacred words... to anyone but Glynda. She had always said that a school was a school, not a playground. "You need to bring what they search in Vale here at Beacon. This will make your students relax, and your teachers too, and this will create a better atmosphere and probably better performance from both the student body and the teacher one".

Ozpin tilted his head sideways. "Jaune, I'm afraid that even though your words are nothing short of the truth, Miss Goodwitch won't allow it", he said. "She's... pretty strict and severe".

"Please, take a look at my curriculum", replied the boy, not without a hint of nervousness. _'Oh, so there is a person under all that business. And a very nervous person, too'_. The thought amused the Headmaster. "It's nothing like my transcripts. And I fear I don't have much "real work" experience to back me up, but I'm ready to prove all those things to you, if I need to".

Ozpin sighed and took the Scroll he was offering him. He'd hate to turn him down again, but he doubted Glynda would let him just accept his offer, no matter how intriguing it could be.

 _Fairly experienced with mineralogy and crystallotherapy._

 _Highly proficient with a vast range of cooking, including normal cooking, desserts and exotic foods. Also a great learner, always ready to try and learn an unknown recipe, or to create a new one._

 _Very skilled dancer in many kind of dances, including lap dance, classic dance, breakdance, pole dance, paired dance, party dance and formal dance._

 _Exceptional brewer for drinks, teas or coffee._

Ozpin had stopped reading at the word "coffee", and handed the Scroll back to its owner. "A very impressive skillset, I must say, something I fear I still don't have the pleasure to have here at Beacon", he said as smoothly as water. "But as you said, you have next to nothing real work experience, so would it be a real trouble for you to prove your point to me?".

Jaune smiled. "Of course not, Headmaster".

"Then follow me", said the man, standing up and leaving both his cane and his mug in the room behind, something very few had seen him do. "We're going to the cafeteria. I'd like to test your coffee-making skills... Many students need coffee to help them through the morning haziness, and many teachers as well, to help them not to kill their students... although that's probably just one teacher".

"I understand, Professor", nodded Jaune, although he had an inkling that it wasn't the only reason for which he was being tested. "Although there are a few things I fear won't work if I work in the cafeteria".

"Which would be?", asked Ozpin, perfectly masking the alarm that had seized him.

"I'd like to work on my own, sir. My own business. That would be better for you, as you won't have to pay me as an employee", said Jaune, recalling what his mother used to say about business. She had always been the one with a head on her shoulders. His father was fine, but Jaune had the feeling that if the Arc capital were to be left to him, the Arcs would find themselves short of money in a very short time. "I'd like so to ask you if I could rent a local here at Beacon where to work and live. I'd be paying you for it, of course, and thus this would be an advantage for you... you all. You will be paid for it, and I guess you could spare some space. Am I right?".

"I'm afraid you aren't", a stern voice interrupted Ozpin before he could even speak. "Beacon is a school, not a pub or something fancy like that".

Both males turned, one with an alarmed frown and the other with a surprised look. Professor Goodwitch, now free from the students, was standing right in front of them, arms crossed and a glare on her face.

"Miss G-Goodwitch, I suppose", Jaune greeted her, his nervousness coming back twofold. "W-Would you please explain why would I be wrong?".

"This is a school, sir, not a playground. I can't have students laze around just because of some pub that has opened here in Beacon", replied Goodwitch, although her tone softened a tiny bit when she saw that the would-be owner of the pub was just a boy, no older than the ones she had just escorted to the ballroom. "I fear we wouldn't be able to have their attention if they skip classes to visit your pub".

"W-We can arrange that!", exclaimed Jaune, trying to save something. "I wouldn't have stayed open during classes just the same, because of exactly what you said, so it should be fine!".

Help came in the form of a very serious Headmaster, who put a hand on his shoulder. "Glynda, you are judging a coffee without even tasting it... that means, you're judging this young man without even knowing about his skills", he said, earning a raised eyebrow from both Jaune and Goodwitch for the metaphor. "Let him brew a coffee. You know much do we need a good coffee-maker".

Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright. One try. And I'm surely not in favour of this, but I guess I can give him at least a chance".

Inwardly, both Jaune and Ozpin grinned their asses off and cheered, but outwardly they both nodded with light smiles on their lips and an identical glint in their eyes.

"Perfect! Now, Jaune, if you would...". He didn't even have to finish the sentence, as the boy had already walked into the cafeteria, followed by the two adults, earning several confused glances and more than a glare for being a teenager in a working place. He ignored them all and politely asked for where could he make a coffee without disturbing the others. As soon as he was given a place, he smiled and unpacked his backpack. Ozpin could only watch in something terribly similar to awe as he pulled out several types of coffee for several types of brew.

"Will you trust me on this one, Professor?", Jaune asked, although the poor man could only nod in approval. He watched the boy intently, trying to memorize his movements and the types of coffee just in case Glynda managed to turn him down, but it was useless. He never had a good mind for recipes, not even for his beloved coffee. After several minutes, Jaune returned with a mug of steaming coffee and offered it to Ozpin.

"Would you like some, too, Professor Goodwitch?", he asked as the Headmaster took a sip of coffee. The woman glared at her boss and shook her head rigidly.

"No thanks, I'm more a tea type".

"Don't worry, Professor, I have teas too", replied Jaune, before turning to Ozpin, who had the widest grin ever stamped on his face. His eyes held a maniacal light that scared him slightly, but then he looked at the mug of coffee -that Ozpin was currently holding like it was a treasure- and smiled.

"Was it of your liking?", he asked politely.

The Headmaster managed to fight off his grin and nodded. Then he turned to Glynda with a most serious tone. "Glynda, I'd like a word with you. I think it will regard your future career here at Beacon", he said, his voice plain and calm.

Glynda blanched. Never to step between Ozpin and his coffee.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby. Was. Exhausted.

After the initiation, and the team formation, everyone was tired. But Ruby had ended up in in what was probably the worst team of the entire school, maybe after Team BRVE... but she wasn't so sure. Yeah, that Blake girl didn't look much like a good leader, but she seemed... okay.

Yeah, who was she kidding. Her team was the worst of all, despite having a cool name.

Yang was pretty okay... if only she could have the tiniest hint of respect for Ruby herself. Her sister believed in her, she really did, but her authority faded as soon as she demanded or ordered something. Why, she would never know. She had just tried to forbid her to make those hideous puns and jokes of hers, and the blonde hadn't taken it well.

Weiss was... impossible. Yes, she was definitely impossible. Stuck-up beyond any definition, the girl in white firmly refused to take any order from her since she had been declared leader. She had thought the girl had forgiven her in the Emerald Forest, but it really seemed she was wrong. Weiss was the less social person she had ever seen. She was snappy, grumpy, annoying and overall a very unpleasant presence.

Speaking of presence... or rather lack of it.

Pyrrha wasn't that bad. She was an incredible fighter, and incredible student, and incredibly gorgeous... but also incredibly distant. She had barely uttered five words a day -on the lucky days- since she had become part of the team. She replied to most questions with noncommittal noises and when she was forced to speak, she spoke as little as possible. Only in class she was slightly less laconic, and she gave the answers as long as they needed to be.

The four of them formed Team RWYN.

Its name couldn't have been more right. They were a ruin, a wreck of a team. Yang passed her time listening to music, chatting on her Scroll or just wandering around, showing off her remarkably appealing looks. Weiss studied and messed with Dust, sometimes causing small explosions and sometimes blaming Ruby for them, and she hated to be talked to from anyone except Pyrrha, who she tolerated only thanks to her fame. Pyrrha, instead, trained until her very bones ached and then passed the rest of her free time reading in silence, never exiting the dorm.

And so Ruby was forced to stay outside, not willing to be "home" when the inevitable argument between Yang and Weiss would happen. Weiss would complain about the music's volume, and Yang would complain about Weiss, and then Weiss would get angry, and everything would degenerate into misery for anyone in the room. The Weiss/Yang arguments were the only thing that could bring Pyrrha to exit the dorm.

And that was exactly why the two of them were now wandering aimlessly through the Beacon's courtyard, neither talking and both wondering when it would be safe to return to their dorm. Ruby wasn't usually a good friend-maker, and the two of them had made kind of a deal: you don't speak, I don't speak. The silence was heavy, but at least it was awkward on both sides, and she wasn't the only one being socially inept.

The two of them had wandered until they had found themselves in the hall, where they had the misfortune of meeting Cardin Winchester nonetheless, although without his team. He wouldn't be a problem, especially because both Ruby and Pyrrha could beat him... the latter without using her weapons nor Semblance and having her hands tied behind her back. Oh, and with broken legs. However, for once, the large boy seemed not even to notice them as he instead read something on the student's notice board. That was strange, too. Cardin wasn't exactly famous for his reading skills.

"Hey, Cardin, what's on that?", asked Ruby, trying to break the silence. Cardin was a bully to many, but he wasn't stupid and he knew which students could kick his sorry ass. "Must be interesting if even you are looking".

"Not as much as you think", he grumbled back, stepping aside to let them see for themselves. "It's a small one-or-two times job, depending on how many take it up. Prices for Dust are kinda increasing due to all the robberies, plus I wouldn't mind a bit of pocket money".

Pyrrha nodded politely while Ruby frowned as she read the bulletin. Cardin was way nicer than most people would think, but he still wasn't exactly the kind of person she'd get along fine. But then again, she didn't get along with her very team, so who was she to speak?

"Here at Beacon?", asked Ruby, surprised. "Go guess what's going on".

"I have actually no idea", he admitted, frowning. "But at least it's not Vale. Working there for such a small job wouldn't even cover the costs for the Bullheads".

"Today at two?", continued Ruby, and then she frowned. "It's one-forty. Are you going to take it?". It was strange how easier it was to talk with Cardin when he wasn't the cocky bully he usually was.

"I'm gonna see what's it about", he said. "If it's convenient, then... well, no one ever said you must always do what you like. If it pays, and it's just for a couple of days... why not?".

Ruby nodded. She had seen the practical side of Cardin only a couple of times before, and she couldn't say it didn't fit him. It was almost like it was his bully side that clashed with him. "Well, for me I think it's a good idea for staying out of the dorm. And to make a little of money, of course".

"Xiao Long and Schnee still arguing?", asked Cardin, and his tone was serious. Sometimes Ruby had to remind herself that Cardin the bully and Cardin the boy were the same person, because sometimes it really didn't look like that. "I thought they had run out of arguments long ago".

"Unfortunately, they don't need _new_ arguments in order to bicker endlessly", she sighed, and then she turned to Pyrrha, cringing a little as she prepared herself for the awkwardness. "And... what about you, Pyrrha? Are you going to see what's this about?".

Pyrrha looked away and seemed to be thinking about it, but Ruby knew she was just taking time, trying to come up with a polite yet bland response. "I... I guess I could give it a try... at least see what's going on", she conceded in the end. "Besides, I don't have to accept it if I don't want to".

"Well, it says Beacon courtyard, the bench in front of the Huntsman statue in the avenue", grumbled Cardin, already regretting telling them about it. He would've liked for himself not to be seen with people like Ruby or Pyrrha. "And it's in about a quarter of hour. I'm going".

Nodding, Ruby followed. Nodding along, Pyrrha went after her.

#####

"Jaune, remind me once again why am I coming with you!?".

"Because you owe me four, and this pays off one!".

Junior's motorbike wasn't less clashing with him the second time, but at least he wasn't dressed as a knight. Behind him rode Joan, who had tried to convince him to let her guide, but he had said that Junior had lent the bike to him and so he was supposed to take care of it. She had grasped the implications and had sulked for a while. The two of them were almost at Beacon, and she was starting to doubt her decision to help him with setting up his pub.

The bike roared as they bolted through Beacon's gates and into the courtyard, attracting the attention of several students as they passed. While attracting attention was something he would be willing to do for his local, he wasn't sure if attracting _that kind_ of attention was a good idea. He was pleased to see that three people were waiting for him before the Beacon statue, each a bit separated from the others and looking in a different direction, but they were there nonetheless. He couldn't help a grin as he halted the motorbike with a screech and parked it in a lot before dismounting and removing his helmet, grinning at Joan as she scowled at him for the crazy ride. The truth was that he was already in the nick of time, and he had had to guide like that to save time.

When both of them had put their helmets away, they walked up to the statue, waving at the three sitting there. At first they seemed to frown, but then the middle one -also the shortest- waved back at them cheerfully. Jaune couldn't help but think that those could very well become his customers in a near future.

"Hello. My name's Jaune, and she's Joan. Were you waiting for me?", he asked, smiling kindly.

"Yeah, we were. You said you have some work to do, right?", asked the only male of the three, a tall brunet far bulkier than any of the other four. "What kind of work? And how much do you pay?".

Having had a similar conversation, although with swapped roles, when he was fifteen, he didn't found it difficult to reply. "To answer your questions, yes I have something for you to help me with, I'm setting up a local and I would pay you forty lien per hour".

"A local here in Beacon?", asked the shortest one, basically jumping up and down in excitement. "When do you open?".

Taken aback by the girl's cheerfulness, it took Jaune a few seconds to regain his bearings. "Soon, Ruby", he laughed. "I'm still unpacking and sorting out the mess of everything, but thankfully I took after my mother, so I should be fine in a week or two... hopefully one".

Joan frowned. "You know her?".

Ruby frowned as well. "You know me?".

The larger boy frowned just like the first two. "You know her?".

Jaune resisted the urge to snicker at the scene. "Kinda. I came to discuss the idea of a business with Headmaster Ozpin the same day Ruby arrived here at Beacon. We kinda stumbled into each other and, as civilized people, we told each other our names. And that reminds me... your names?".

"Ruby Rose!", exclaimed Ruby, smiling widely.

"Cardin Winchester", gruffly said the large boy.

"Pyrrha", quietly replied the third student, who hadn't spoken yet. She looked strangely familiar. He must've seen her on the arrival day, too.

"Very well. Ruby, Cardin and Pyrrha. If you wish to take up my offer, then follow me". He smiled at the three of them so brightly you'd think they were best friends. "Otherwise, I bid you farewell. I'd like to hang around longer, but I fear my business is waiting".

Nodded towards them in a final farewell and walked away with Joan, his smile not wavering once. He'd done it. Now it was just a matter of time before he could properly open his own local. Behind him, the three students seemed to hesitate, then Cardin shrugged and followed him. Not wanting to be considered less brave than the boy, Ruby rushed after the three of them. Left behind, Pyrrha bit her lip as she considered her chances. Everywhere in Beacon she could be ambushed by fans, and the dorm wasn't an option. With a heavy sigh, she followed them.

They didn't have to walk for long before they came up with the local. It wasn't huge, but it surely wasn't small, and it was at least intact, without any crack in the walls and a handful of chairs Jaune glared at when he entered. The counter was already there, although from the look Jaune gave it, it seemed not for long. It was a bit unclean and untidy, but overall it was okay. The two blondes inspected everything first, and only after they were satisfied they came back and smiled at them in a sinister and creepy way. Cardin was used to it, due to his previous experiences in unqualified works like those, but Ruby and Pyrrha had never worked like that one day of their lives, one for laziness and games and the other for training and advertising jobs.

"Very well, the first thing we will need is to sweep all the floor. Ruby, would you please take care of that? Perfect, thank you. Pyrrha and Cardin, you will help Joan with taking in what we need and out what we don't. The chairs and the counter, for example, seriously need to be replaced. May you handle it? Thank you". His smile was kind, but his voice was firm. He was in Arc business mode, now, and he had taken after his mother. "If something, _anything_ , comes up, don't hesitate to ask me. Better to ask than to mess up, right?".

Without waiting for their answers, he sauntered off, beginning to clean the shelves and the fridges, and especially the kitchen. When Ozpin had told him that unfortunately they hadn't any room large enough with a kitchen separated from the main room, he had been all the happier. That meant he could keep an eye on what was happening in his local without having to go back and forth from the kitchen. Also, since he would only prepare small meals and snacks, it wasn't a real problem having less space.

Ruby let out a relieved sigh after he went away. She had never worked like that, but at least she knew how to sweep a room. Before beginning to work, she sent a quick message to Yang, explaining her whereabouts and what was she doing to avoid a sister-storm come raging to check on her. Since she was getting paid, and well enough, for that, she decided to do her best and sweep every single corner of the local, going as far as asking Jaune if she had to sweep upstairs, too, but he replied that upstairs wasn't going to be business, so it was out of their job and not to worry about it. After she was done with sweeping, he made her clean the walls, all the walls of the room, and it took her quite more time to handle that task than to sweep the room.

Pyrrha, Cardin and Joan, meanwhile, managed to move out all the chairs they had found in the room and then even the large, heavy counter, that was lifted by Cardin alone and brought out. Jaune and Joan had to wait for just three seconds before a loud crash came from outside. Grinning knowingly, Joan walked out to help him balance the damn thing again, not once scolding him for having dropped it. After they finished the van with the furniture Jaune had prepared had arrived, and they were burdened with the task of bringing it in. Jaune was ready to tell them where to put the counter, and then just told them to drag chairs and tables in, since he could arrange them later on his own.

Just before they finished, a very lost Velvet Scarlatina entered the room, timidly asking for Jaune. The boy was covered in a thin layer of dust -normal dust- and sweat, but he was as lively as the Sun. "Ozpin sent you, right?", he asked with a wide smile. "Coffee, I guess?".

"He said to do the same brew you did last time", she replied, shyly. "I have the money with me".

Jaune smiled and nodded. "No problem. Just wait here for a second, and I'll have Ozpin's order ready. He asked for a thermos, I suppose".

"Yes, please", she nodded. "I-If you have one, that is".

"Of course I have. Just tell Ozpin from me to return the thermos when he can, okay?". He gave her one last smile and busied himself behind the counter. Velvet nodded once again before she was suddenly aware of a very unfriendly presence behind her. Or rather four unfriendly presences. Cringing inwardly, she turned to face Team CRDL.

"Oh, look, a bunny!", laughed Cardin, beginning to circle her. "Or should I say a rabbit?".

"What a freak", chuckled Russel as he circled her other side.

Ruby tensed up. She couldn't beat up Team CRDL -especially because all together they were too strong for her alone- but that didn't mean she didn't _want_ to.

As soon as Cardin grabbed one of Velvet's rabbit ears, however, a firm voice rang out from the counter, and when they turned they could see a very pissed-looking Jaune frowning at them. "Let her go. She's a customer here, and I won't allow customers to be mistreated in my local, even if I haven't opened up yet", he said.

His voice wasn't icy like Weiss's nor severe like Goodwitch's. It was more like the voice of a disappointed parent finding out their children were misbehaving. "And as for you, Cardin, I fear you're done here. Let me get you your lien, and then I have to ask you to leave, please".

He placed a handful of liens on the counter, gesturing him to take them. "Although you are entitled your own personal opinion, this is my local". His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "And I do _not_ approve of racism against Faunus, nor any other kind of prejudice. You will be free to be customer once the pub will be up and ready, but only if your behaviour in here remains civilized".

His words struck Team CRDL like a rain of bricks: hard. Cardin had released Velvet's ear in surprise and the others were standing motionlessly around the poor girl. Ruby, Pyrrha and Velvet alike were all frozen in surprise, although they were far more pleased by it than CRDL. The only one who didn't look surprised was Joan, who continued to carry in chairs as if nothing happened.

"Uh...". Cardin mentally slapped himself for the unarticulated sound. He wasn't stupid and he knew he had to obey, since Jaune was literally the houseowner, but he needed to do it in a way to save his pride. Opting for a hard scowl, he stomped over to the counter and snatched the liens, huffing heavily as he strode out of the room. "Whatever. If you are with the animals, then I guess I have no business here".

Team CRDL stepped out of the local feeling the hard glares from Ruby, Pyrrha, Joan and Jaune.

They were lucky, though, because not even ten minutes after they had gone, two more people arrived in the local. One was White from the courtyard, Jaune recognized, while the other looked just so vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. He just named her Yellow.

"Hello. Nice to meet you", he greeted them with a smile from behind the counter. "But I fear the local won't be open for a few more days".

"We're not here for that... not yet, anyway", said Yellow. "My sister messaged me saying you were paying her for working here. Is that true?".

"Although I do not know who are you talking about, if she said so then yes", he nodded lightly. "I'm still setting up and I needed a hand or two, so I asked and I got some help from Ruby and Pyrrha over there. Cardin was here, too, but he... left".

Joan snickered at his terrible lie, and received a glare from Jaune.

"Yeah, he can be pretty much a jerk when he wants to", nodded Yellow. "I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister. And this is...".

"Weiss Schnee", White interrupted her with an outraged huff.

"Yeah, she can be pretty much a jerk, too", finished the blonde, earning an icy glare from Weiss.

"How dare you!", she exclaimed. "Do you even...".

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both", said Jaune, suppressing a grin at the scene. "My name's Jaune".

"I'm Joan".

"Still, I see you already recruited two of my teams", smirked Yang, walking up to him. "Do you have a thing for redheads?".

He immediately went red. "W-What?! N-No!", he sputtered out, stepping back. "It's j-just work!".

"Yaaang!", whined Ruby, blushing as well. "Stop harassing my boss! He's the one who pays, not you!".

Joan laughed heartily at the scene. "Yang, I can assure you Jaune doesn't have "a thing" for redheads", she grinned at the other blonde. "Not yet, at least".

"Joan!", Jaune hissed. "You traitor!".

"Since you're gonna live here from now on, I don't have to fear you making me sleep on the couch any more", she shot back with a smirk. "Although I'll have to learn how to cook... but I can manage".

"You two live together?", asked Yang, with a huge grin and an expression that clearly indicated she hadn't understood the situation completely.

"Yep", tiredly replied Jaune. "Moved in Vale a few months ago".

Yang couldn't resist teasing further her sister's boss. "Did you two have sex yet?".

A long silence followed.

"W-What?", asked Joan, bewildered. "Sex?".

"Yang...", said Jaune. frowning. "...she's my sister".

Yang's eyes went as wide as the sky when she pieced together what had just happened. For once, her teasing nature had backfired terribly, and she blushed so much even her hair looked a little less blond and a bit more orange. She looked around for help, but Pyrrha, Jaune and Joan were just standing there with embarrassed expressions, while Ruby seemed on the verge of a fit of laughters.

"I-I'm...", she stammered. "...s-sorry?".

Ruby exploded in a howling laughter.

#####

"Ruby, stop laughing!".

"Nope!", shot back the crimsonette, still doubled over in laughters. "I'm never gonna let you live that down!".

"Ruby, behave", ordered Weiss, icy as usual. "You're being indecorous".

"She asked them if they had had sex already!", exclaimed Ruby from her bed, holding her stomach to stop it from hurting for the loud guffaws she had been laughing ever since they left Jaune's new local. "And they were _siblings!_ ".

Yang, still red as a tomato, sat on her bed with a scowl. "Hey, it's not my fault! They really looked like a couple!", she retorted.

"Although Ruby does have a point", said Weiss. "They were clearly siblings, and unless they are involved in incest, that is illegal and immoral, you should have noticed their relation was similar to yours and Ruby's".

"Had this happened to you, Ice Queen, you would be all "oh, their relation was so similar to a couple's it was impossible to discern siblings from lovers", wouldn't you?".

"That is why I would never commit such a mistake", huffed Weiss. "Pyrrha, help me. Tell those two little brats I wouldn't have mistaken them for lovers".

There was no answer. When the three of them looked at Pyrrha's bed, they found it utterly empty. The redhead was nowhere to be seen, probably having foreseen a discussion and having wisely decided to remain out of it.

"Looks like Pyrrha hit the road", commented Yang. "Or maybe she just wanted to stay away from the Ice Queen".

"Yang, stop immediately!", ordered Weiss, pissed off. "You and your stupid nicknames are unethical not to a fault, to a _sin!_ And Pyrrha would never have a walk just to stay away from her _partner_ ".

#####

"Thanks for the help, Pyrrha", said Jaune, finally stopping to wipe the various glasses and plates clean. "You really helped me out with this".

She nodded briefly as she put down the mop with what she had just cleaned the floor. It had been a long afternoon, but at least she had passed it away from fans and team discussion. Jaune had been a very gracious host, and he hadn't even frowned once when she didn't respond to his attempts at conversation. Instead, he had just chosen to ignore her muteness and speak to her like a normal person would do, although not receiving answers.

"Here's your money", he said, putting the liens on the counter. "Would you like a something to drink?".

She cautiously took the money, moving deliberately slowly to delay her answer as much as possible, but when she looked up again he was still there, with an amused glint in his eyes and a smile on his lips, as if she hadn't spent three minutes to put away her money. She swallowed dryly, but there was no reason for which she could refuse. Unless...

"I don't want to take up more of your time, sir", she politely replied. "I should be going, now".

"You're not taking up my time, since now I would call off the work just the same", he shot back. "And please, my name is Jaune. "Sir" makes me feel old. Spare that for when I'll be forty like my dad".

"I wouldn't want to intrude...", she began, but this time he didn't even let her finish.

"Heh, it's no problem whatsoever. Besides, I'm used to intrusions... thanks to Joan". He chuckled awkwardly. "I can assure you you wouldn't be a bother".

"I...".

"Look, I don't want to _force_ you to accept this", he said. His voice was still kind, but now it was also serious. "There is no shame in refusing an offer. You don't need an excuse. And offer is an offer because it can be turned down".

Pyrrha bit her lip. Refusing would be impolite. "A tea, please", she said eventually.

"What kind?", he immediately replied, smiling once more. "I have a lot of teas".

"I... a Mistralian Fire Lotus, if you have one", she said. Despite the name, that kind of tea was a pretty cheap and dull-tasting brew. She didn't want him to pay too much to serve her a tea.

He smiled enigmatically as he began preparing. "What do you want me to add to it? Sugar? Honey?", he listed off, rummaging through the recently filled shelves. "Milk? Fruits? Cacao or chocolate? I know that is an uncommon brew, but believe me I've seen it done more than once".

"I think I'll take a normal one", she replied.

"Those were all "normal one" options", he chuckled as he began heating up the water. "Wherever you order a Mistralian Fire Lotus, they bring you at least sugar, milk and honey to blend in it".

She nodded, although that was new for her. She had of course never tasted that tea, since her agent always insisted for her to order only the best at restaurants.

Finally, Jaune placed a steaming mug in front of her, and then proceeded to place milk, sugar, honey, several fruits and even hot chocolate beside the mug, crowding the counter. "Your pick", he said cheerfully. "That's the least I can do for someone who helped me for five hours straight".

She nodded again and took a sip of the tea, wincing a little when it scalded her mouth. Scorching her throat wasn't a good idea, so she decided to add some milk to tone the heat down a few notches. Jaune grinned evilly as she reached out for the milk, having probably served the tea boiling hot on purpose to make her either let it cool down, or at least take some milk.

The second sip was much cooler than the first, although it still was warm enough to be called hot. She was taken aback by the taste. She had always been told that the Mistralian Fire Lotus was a very bland tea, but what she was tasting was everything but that. She couldn't say it was the strongest tea she had ever drank, but it surely lived up its name now. She saw Jaune's grin as he noticed her surprise.

"The Fire Lotus is a brew commonly underestimated because of the recent habit of brewers to use low quality ingredients and leaving the tea to brew less time in order to make it quicker", he explained. "Also, since the tea isn't very famous, they preferred to take quality from it in order to focus more on common teas".

She nodded slightly at the explanation, but she didn't say anything.

His smile didn't waver once, and he was returned to his work once she didn't give any sign of being willing to speak. She finished her tea in silence and tried to pay for it, but Jaune's simple and invincible argument was that he wasn't gonna touch those liens, and that he would've returned them to her dorm if he had to.

That lead to a new awkward situation on her part, because while it was true it was a friendly offer from a boy, he was also a bartender and the owner of that local and business. Shuffling awkwardly on her feet, she nodded and left the room with a quiet and quick farewell. He laughed and farewelled her as well. "You've helped a lot today. Are you gonna come back tomorrow?".

She didn't answer. Maybe she hadn't heard.

#####

"Mmh", hummed Ozpin, sipping his coffee, oblivious to the glaring Glynda Goodwitch, who had the feeling of having been called only to witness the Headmaster praising the coffee. "This is really good".

"You. Are. A. Damn. Old. Bastard".

"Glynda, language".


	3. Chapter 3

**_Now, since I will be on a holiday (footnotes for more info, thank you) for a while, I decided to look at my fics in hiatus and write a bit. I was torn between Hellbent and Beacon Café, since both of them lacked only a few thousands words to reach the word count I set for those fics. But since Hellbent already had 3 chapters agains the 2 of Beacon Café, I opted to write this. Beware: it's not serious._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the chapter._**

"Where have you been all week?", exclaimed Weiss, arms crossed over her chest. "Ever since Yang and I argued and you and Ruby decided to give us some space, you've been incredibly absent"

Pyrrha shrank back in her seat and shrugged vaguely.

Professor Oobleck, meanwhile, was zapping back and forth, rambling on the Faunus War, time and again taking a sip from his thermos. Team RWYN and Team BRVE were sitting one behind the other, taking up a row each. Yang and Ruby hadn't mentioned Pyrrha's continuous absence from the dorm, but Weiss seemed to be going to extract the truth from her partner.

"Pyrrha, what was that?", she asked, icy. "Where have you been?".

She gave another shrug. "I worked at Jaune's café", she replied timidly.

Weiss's eyebrows went so high they disappeared into her hair. "You?", she asked, incredulous. "Working to set up a bar? For that dolt?".

"Hey!", whisper-yelled Ruby. "Jaune's not a dolt!".

Pyrrha shrank even further in her seat and nodded.

"How dare he ask you to work for him in such an indecorous manner!". Weiss was outraged. "I'll speak personally to him to clear the misunderstanding. I'll see him as soon as classes end. I would do it between classes, but his café is a bit too hidden for me to reach it without taking time from classes".

"Weiss, you don't have to", said Pyrrha, biting her lip. She and Jaune hadn't talked much, almost not at all, but the boy was simply an unstoppable friendly presence. Even when she didn't reply, he had continued to smile and speak, talking about the coffees and teas and everything he could do for the café, time and again asking her about her grades or how Beacon looked like to her, and those got a few answers... usually. She enjoyed Jaune's presence, but she felt his naturalness was only due to her not telling him her surname. He should've recognized her by her looks, but there was no doubt he hadn't, since he had treated her like a normal person ever since she had accepted his offer. And every evening she ended up accepting another tea, always different. He had talked so much about those that now she knew over forty blends of tea, fifteen of coffee and more than two dozens different drinks. Even though she didn't talk, she didn't want to lose Jaune's naturalness.

"I know I don't _have_ to", replied Weiss, snappy. "But I hate to see an important person such as yourself being treated like a nobody. A _job_... does he even know you could probably buy all his miserable business on your own?".

She cringed. Just slightly less awkward and horrible than being always under the spotlight for her fame was when she had to interact with people who had significantly less money than she did. "Weiss, there is no need...".

"Of course there is!", retorted Weiss, interrupting her. "He should pay you _respect_ ".

Pyrrha felt miserable trying to come up with a polite yet firm answer, but then she gave up and decided instead to answer Oobleck's question about the Faunus War. As she heard a scoff coming from a few rows back, she turned and frowned at Cardin, who noticed and scoffed again.

"The right answer's that it's easier to train an _animal_ than a _soldier_ ", he spat viciously. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes. She really liked him more when he wasn't faking himself all big and tough to impress his teammates.

"You're not the most open minded of people, are you, Cardin?", snorted Blake from a row above her.

"What?", he drawled with venom. "You got a problem?".

"What if she does?", growled Yang from beside Ruby, who sighed deeply. "And what if _I_ do?".

"Students, please, sit down", said Professor Oobleck, tensely. "Mr Winchester, please stay after class".

Cardin scowled and sat again, arms crossed in defiance, grumbling something under his breath. Just as Oobleck returned to his lesson, however, there were three knocks at the door. "Come in, please".

Half-expecting Professor Goodwitch to step in and give detention to the whole class -Professor Oobleck included- just for fun, the students were surprised to see instead a blond boy no older than they were, dressed with black trouser and a black jacket over a white shirt. Pyrrha, Ruby and Yang recognized Jaune immediately, but they were taken aback by the large thermos he was holding.

Wordlessly, he strode over to Oobleck's desk and set the thermos down, nodding once at the professor and then at the class in acknowledgement. The green-haired hyperactive man seemed pleased. "Thank you, Mr Arc", he said appreciatively. "Perfect timing".

"It has been a pleasure, Dr Oobleck". Jaune nodded once more with a smile and then exited the room. Oobleck smiled lightly as he picked up the thermos and took a sip of coffee, humming in bliss. The boy surely knew how to brew a coffee.

The professor began talking once more, but then he stopped at the curious and surprised faces of the students, and chuckled knowingly. "Very well, I guess I won't receive attention from you until your curiosity is satisfied", he said. "Do you have questions?".

"Who was that?", asked Weiss, frowning, and her teammates mentally face-palmed. "Why did he barged in during class?".

"I had ordered a coffee from Mr Arc this morning, and I asked him to bring it to me during class, so for me to have coffee to drink", he explained lightly, and Weiss's eyes narrowed. "He somehow managed to convince Miss Goodwitch to let Headmaster Ozpin rent him a local here in Beacon for him to open up a café".

"Will we be able to ask for drinks during lessons too?", asked Nora, grinning. "And pancakes?".

"I'm afraid that this has been the exception, Miss Valkyrie. Mr Arc's café won't be open during lessons to avoid exactly those inconveniences", replied Oobleck. "However, Saint... I mean, Headmaster Ozpin has managed to convince him to `bend the rules` for us professors, so for us to possibly avoid creeping off the students by visiting the local while it's full".

"Since when there is a café in Beacon?", asked Weiss.

"Mr Arc went to the Headmaster during the day of your arrival here at Beacon, and with him he discussed his idea for business". Oobleck took another sip of coffee. "Ozpin was pleased with his curriculum and skills, and he rented him a local, although it's a bit difficult to reach. Now, if you don't mind, I'd prefer we go back to our lesson. And yes, Mr Winchester, you still have detention with me after class".

Cardin grumbled unhappily, but shrank back into his seat as soon as the professor turned to regard him with a raised eyebrow and an amused expression. "Uhm... yessir".

"Perfect", intoned Oobleck, returning to his usual lighting-fast pacing. "Now, we were talking about how General Lagune lost the battle at Fort Castle...".

#####

Professor Port's class was no less boring than Professor Port's _last_ class, or the one before that. All of Port's classes were boring. Port himself was boring. The very atmosphere of his class was boring. The way Port talked was boring. Port's stories were boring. Port's enthusiastic gestures while talking were boring. Port's choice of clothes was boring. Port's very voice was boring. Even how people talked about Port's classes was boring.

Needless to say, half the class was sleeping, and the other half wasn't paying attention.

"It would be so cool, Weiss!", Ruby whispered to her teammate. "Imagine it: Crescent Rose, in bazooka mode!".

"I highly doubt your style is compatible with an antitank infantry weapon such as a portable rocket launcher", sniffed Weiss, glaring imperiously at her. "You already have absurd weapons such as a scythe and a rifle. Besides, I don't think Valkyrie would appreciate you copying her style".

"But Nora has a grenade launcher!", retorted Ruby. "It's different! Besides, we see her only in class, and we never talk, so she would never find out!".

"Until you use it in a training match", flatly replied Weiss, not giving ground. "Your idea of a bazooka is childish and ill-thought. The design of your weapons should change significantly in order for you to use it as an antitank launcher".

"Then help instead of scoffing!", pouted the crimsonette, scowling at her.

"I _am_ helping. I am helping you avoid the bad decision it would be to modify your... _weapon_... into a bazooka", icily shot back the heiress. "You aren't a weapon expert, Ruby. You are obsessed by weapons, that is different. Your uncle helped you in order for you not to mess up like you usually do".

Ruby deflated. "W-What do y-you mean "like I usually do"? I-I... I don't m-mess up usually".

"Yes, yes you do", tactlessly stated Weiss. "You mess up most of the times. And in terrible ways, too. Haven't I already told you so?".

Ruby slumped in her seat. "But I...".

"But you are you: a mess too young to be attending Beacon and that has probably cheated her way in", declared the heiress. "For your age, you're a prodigy with your scythe. But in case you haven't noticed, there are many here who could beat you. Some even easily, like me, Pyrrha and Yang just to speak of this team".

Ruby's eyes were downcast now. "Weiss, I...".

"Don't `Weiss` me, Ruby Rose", she admonished. "It's clear you are above your age's average, and it's also clear you're probably among average for the students here at Beacon... in combat prowess".

Ruby squirmed uncomfortably.

"But in actual knowledge, or theoretical studies, or anything else? You're far below Beacon's average", she hissed. "And instead of playing videogames, and stuffing yourself with cookies, and read comics, you should study and catch up with all the others!".

"But Weiss, you had two years more than me!", she protested.

"Then you shouldn't have cheated your way into Beacon, hadn't you been able to keep up", retorted the heiress without a hint of compassion. "And before you try and protest: it's obvious you cheated your way in. Nobody so young, so light-hearted, so naive, so uncultured could be accepted into Beacon. Contrary to popular belief, Huntsmen aren't just `big awesome warriors` that fights for the protection of people. They are learned warriors as well".

Ruby stared at her, eyes wide and unmoving.

Without as much as a care in the world, Weiss scoffed and turned, mumbling something about idiotic teammates. "It's time you learn what reality is, Ruby. Being a Huntress isn't gonna be just hacking through Grimm. If you don't want to fail, then you have to study". She sat rigidly for a second before sighing and deflating. "Ruby... as much as I dislike the fact that you've been made leader instead of me... it does _not_ mean I want to see you fail".

Now Ruby was frozen in surprise.

Weiss sighed again and turned to face her. Her expression was fractionally softer now. "You are two years younger. As I said, you're a prodigy with your scythe, for your age... but you shouldn't let this make you think you're already graduated. You need to study and train, the former much more than the latter. You lost two years' worth of study, Ruby, and that's a lot". Weiss brought her hands up to her face and sighed for a third time. "I don't know what else to do, Ruby. I give up. You want to become a Huntress and you intend to do so just by fighting? Have it your way. I'm telling you that you won't ever graduate here at Beacon just by fighting. Combat is just one of the classes. The others may interest you less... but they're important, too".

In the background, Port continued to ramble on.

"I've tried to make you study, or anything but playing and eating cookies... but it doesn't work". Weiss regained her composure and glared at her. "You chose to ignore me, and now I'll ignore you. Good luck with becoming a Huntress, Ruby. Since you hate me so much, I won't try and tell you what to do any more".

Ruby wasn't dumbstruck. She was thunderstruck.

Weiss had tried to help her?

"Weiss, I...", she began, but the heiress just scoffed and turned away, offended.

"I told you not to `Weiss` me, Ruby", she glowered at the ceiling. "And I won't discuss the matter further, not with you, not with anyone. You're on your own until you prove me you _want_ to follow my counsel, and you simply _can't_ do it all by yourself. I tried to meet you halfway, but you were stubborn. Now it's my turn to be unmovable".

Ruby slumped in her seat. Great. _'Where am I going to study? What am I going to study? How am I going to study?'_ , she wondered. _'And since when I want to study? I'm good with Crescent Rose. That's enough, right?'_.

 _'...'_.

 _'Right?'_.

#####

"I'm dead", announced Ruby, crashing on the seat next to Yang. "Team RWYN, announcement: I'm dead".

"You already said that", noted Yang.

"It means I'm doubly dead", sighed Ruby, shooting a glance to Weiss and Pyrrha who were eating in silence. At another table she could see Team BRVE, but they too looked pretty off. Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, a black-haired boy and a carrothead girl, sat on one side of the table, chatting idly among themselves. Blake Belladonna and Evan Thornbush, a girl with a bow on her head and a bear faunus boy, sat on the other table, talking in whispers and shooting furtive glares at the other two members of their team.

Strange people.

"Why should you be doubly dead?", asked Yang. "What's gone wrong?".

"What's gone wrong? Apart from pissing Weiss off _seriously_ , being a mess-up and knowing basically nothing of being a Huntress apart from fighting?". She gave a short, humourless laugh. "Nothing then... just peachy".

"Okay sis, you got me worried here", said Yang, abandoning her food to turn and face her sister. "What's wrong?".

"Nothing".

"Ruby, you know I know something's wrong", retorted the blonde. "And you know I know you know".

"Ugh, fine! I messed up, and now Weiss's mad at me. And I mean seriously", replied Ruby, throwing her arms up in the air. "Turns out she was being a brat because she wanted me to learn, because I'm not good enough at non-combat related classes, and she thinks I'm gonna get kicked out if I don't study".

"Brat", noted Yang.

"She may be a brat, but she may also be right!", she freaked out. "You know how bad I am at theoretical lessons. I stink at them".

"Yeah, you do", shrugged Yang.

"Jeez, thanks sis", drawled Ruby, sarcastic.

"But that's it. You don't need theoretical lessons. Take me: I'm big. I'm strong. I'm good. Perfect trio for a Huntress. I kick asses. A lot". She smirked. "As you do. That's what you need to become a Huntress. You have to be strong, skilled at combat, and hot. The rest is trash".

"Is it, though?", asked Ruby. "There will be exams at the end of the school year... how am I supposed to pass them if I know nothing about anything else than combat?".

"Pfft... how many of the students you see here is actually interested in studying that stuff?", asked Yang with a smirk. "Let me tell you: less than fifty percent. The others are here to kick asses and have their own handed to them by someone stronger".

"But Yang... then why there are classes on those?", asked Ruby. "I mean... there must be a reason for all those, right?".

"Mmh... maybe they just want to bore us to death and test our endurance", joked Yang. "Port could very well be doing that".

"Yang, that's serious!".

"Come on, sis, Ozpin let you in two years earlier. It must be obvious he doesn't consider theoretical lessons to be important, otherwise you wouldn't have been accepted into Beacon at all".

Ruby slumped in her seat. "I don't know what to do", she wailed.

"Then take some advice", said her sister. "Take your mind off the problem for a while. It works more often than you'd think".

Ruby rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I'll see".

#####

"And with that, it's done!", he declared with a triumphant grin. "Took a while, but it's done!".

Team RWYN could only watch in confusion as Jaune began preparing a tea, a glass of milk, a can of soda, a hot chocolate and a strong coffee for the five of them. Confusion as for how could the man be so cheerful after having worked for seven hours -not straight- in his local. Yes, it was true that the pub was now completely ready to open, but how could a boy no older than them take satisfaction in a business like that was beyond their ability of comprehension.

"Thanks Jaune", purred Yang as she took her soda, but he was so lost in his preparations that he completely missed the flirty tone, much to Yang's disappointment.

Ruby grinned as he placed a large glass of milk in front of her. He was the first to avoid commenting on her habit. "Thanks Jaune, you're the best".

"How can you say he's the best when you know only one bartender, and that's him?", retorted Weiss, accepting her coffee with a curt nod. "There might be someone more skilled out of Beacon".

"Exactly: he's the best she has ever met", interjected Yang.

"Great comparison".

"Well, it's already something. You didn't even thank him for the coffee", she retorted with a snort. Weiss scoffed and turned.

Pyrrha took her tea with a quiet thanks, and after everyone was served, Jaune picked up his chocolate too.

"So... what's up, girls?", he said conversationally. "Any news from outside my café?".

"Usual things, Jauney", shrugged Yang. "Lessons, lessons, lessons and then lunch. Lessons in the afternoons... sometimes... and then fun. Usually Vale for shopping or something like that".

Jaune smirked subtly. _'I told you, Ozpin, you have no entertainment here'_ , he thought triumphantly. _'I was right'_. He had a point against the wise Headmaster. Now they weren't four millions to zero any more, but four millions to one. How satisfying. In just a week, he had come to know that the Headmaster had the annoying habit to be always right. And, just like everyone else, Jaune hated that habit of his. And now he had been right against him.

For some reason, it felt to him like he still had lost.

"I can understand that. Since I won't be working when there are classes, I sometimes go to Vale to hit the arcade, or a discotheque, or the library", he nodded. "Here there's not much to do, honestly".

"Yeah, it's _soo_ boring", complained Yang, rolling her eyes. "Luckily the arena is free for anyone to use it".

Jaune gave her a flat stare. "Don't you break your bones enough times against the Grimm and during combat class?".

"It's never enough, honey", she winked at him, making him blush and look away. Coughing once to clear his cheeks from the redness, he turned back to them.

"Well, while I'm sorry you guys... girls are being bored out of your minds here in Beacon, I guess that will actually help me with my local", he noted idly. "Not to be mean nor anything, of course, but one of the reasons I chose to set up here in Beacon is because while Vale has dozens upon dozens of pubs and cafés, Beacon only has the cafeteria". He grimace. "And... well, one can _live_ eating that stuff, but sometimes I think you students would prefer eating bread that isn't as hard as your weapons, or turkeys that are frankly barely cooked".

Despite the differences among them, the four girls all winced in unison. He was right. Not like the cafeteria's food wasn't _healthy_. And it wasn't even all that foul-tasting. It was that they basically had to use their Aura to chew the bread, and Yang usually heated up most things with her Semblance anyway. A mess like Beacon's had the advantage of not forcing the students to go to Vale twice a day for the meals, but it also meant that their food often wasn't all that good. It lacked the personal touch of someone cooking for _them_ and not just for the whole students' body. The opening of Jaune's café was going to be a boon for the students of Beacon, even though it still couldn't provide entertainment like an arcade, a club or a discotheque in Vale. Especially because Goodwitch would probably murder him if he were to try and dare mention the idea to her. Ozpin might've agreed, though.

"Yeah, you're right on that", sighed Yang. "I mean, I get that Beacon's cooks aren't wizards and can't make everything right, but we've been here for... how long? Two weeks? Three? And we're already sick of the cafeteria's food. It's healthy? Yeah. It's good? Kinda. It's something you want to eat? Not in a thousand years". She shrugged almost apologetically, maybe sorry for having basically insulted the cooks, maybe not. "I still don't know what food will you sell here but hey, it's kinda hard to do _worse_. Yours might not be as healthy and balanced as Beacon's, but it surely will be a lot easier and more pleasant to eat".

Jaune chuckled and shook his head. "I knew Beacon had problems with its mess, but I didn't know they were _this_ bad", he commented lightly, his hair falling over his eyes to cover the blue with gold. "I guess that's why the students are so eager to go to Vale every day. I swear, there are at least three Bullheads that only fly the route Vale-Beacon. Only for the students. It was time someone opened something _here_ ". What he didn't say, of course, was that he would've absolutely chosen being a student of Beacon and having to fly over to Vale every day, instead of being a bartender at Beacon and not having to go to Vale every day.

"Speaking of the opening of this local, I think we have something to discuss, Mr Arc", stated Weiss, stubbornly referring to him as `Mr Arc` even after he had asked them all, several times, to just be called Jaune. He turned to face her with a smile and nodded, urging her to go on. "I've been informed today that you recruited one of my teammates to help you with grunt work here in the café".

Jaune blinked and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Ehm... yes, I guess I did", he admitted with a little shrug. It wasn't like he had kept it a secret. "Actually, I was helped by _all_ your teammates. Pyrrha and Yang are really strong so I had them use that strength of theirs, while Ruby helped with the smaller tasks... even if I'm pretty sure she's still stronger than I am".

Ruby shrugged apologetically. Aura was hardly a fair advantage, after all.

"I do not care about Xiao Long nor Rose", continued Weiss, her eyes trying to bore a hole into Jaune's skull. The boy seemed to get more and more on edge the more she stared at him, so that was good. "But I _do_ care about Pyrrha. Do you have any idea who you are hiring for _grunt work?_ ".

Jaune scratched the back of his head sheepishly before shrugging slightly. "Kind of? She's really quiet when she's here so I don't really know where she's from nor anything. I haven't caught her surname yet, either", he explained. "But she seems nice and kind so... I guess my answer is I kind of know her? A little? Fifty percent?".

Weiss sighed. "Mr Arc, _she_ ". She pointed at Pyrrha for emphasis. "Is Pyrrha Nikos".

Whatever was the reaction she was expected, it definitely wasn't the one she received. Jaune blinked and turned to Pyrrha, who seemed halfway through mastering the art of merging with the counter and the seat. Then he smiled awkwardly. "Nice name", he complimented lamely, not really knowing what to say. Yeah, now he knew her surname. Not like that changed anything.

Weiss, though, had other ideas, and frowned when he _obviously_ didn't react the way she had expected him to. "She graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum", she specified coldly, eyes narrowing at him when he looked confused before shrugging.

"Never heard of it".

Now a tick mark was appearing on the heiress's forehead. If anyone noticed, they kept wisely kept quiet about it. With evident difficulty she took a deep breath, probably telling herself to stay calm. "She won the Mistral Regional Tournament", Weiss explained almost patiently, as if speaking to a demented child who couldn't understand difficult words. She really wasn't one for niceness. "Four times in a row", she added, trying to get her point across, but Jaune's expression remained blank. "A new _record_ ", she strained the last word, but the blond simply blinked back at her in a way that made her want to tear those eyelids off.

"The what?".

Weiss's hands almost clenched. How could someone be so daring as to open a local in _Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses_ and not know about Pyrrha Nikos? Heck, even in Atlas most civilians knew about her. "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!", she shouted at the bartender, loud enough to startle him. His flinch had been just enough to agitate his hot chocolate, that he was still holding in his hand, and to pour it right on the boy's shirt. While the ruining of the shirt itself wasn't a big problem, since he had chosen it for the grunt work, the sheer temperature of the beverage was kinda troubling for Jaune as he winced and began cursing between gritted teeth as he unbuttoned the shirt and tossed it aside, choosing to remain with his navy blue undershirt instead of keeping on something as hot as that.

While Yang was freely laughing and Pyrrha stifling her giggles behind a hand, Ruby frowned at the white-themed Huntress. "Weiss! Be careful, we just finished cleaning!", she scolded her, hands on her hips for more emphasis. It didn't impress the heiress, but that was beyond the point. "Also, it's not nice to make people burn themselves and waste hot chocolate".

Weiss sighed in exasperation. "So you don't know who she is at all?", she asked, a tick mark clear on her forehead, just below the hairline. Jaune stopped wincing to look at Pyrrha and tilting his head sideways before his eyes widened.

"Oh, she's the girl on Pumpkin Pete's!", he nodded with a smile. "That's nice to know! Must've been interesting, Pyrrha".

The girl, taken aback by both his ignorance of her fame and the sudden question, shrugged weakly. "It was pretty interesting", she agreed meekly. "Unfortunately the cereal is really unhealthy...".

"Ah, well, all that is good is unhealthy", commented Yang with a smirk. "What's better than fighting Grimm? Nothing. Yet people call it dangerous to the point you need to be trained for almost a decade before they give you the license to do so".

Jaune sighed and looked at her with a weary smile. "Is it really that fun?", he asked with a little melancholy. "Being a Huntsman has always been my dream ever since I was little, you know?".

Ruby went wide-eyed at that and zapped over to him with her Semblance. "Oh my Oum, Jaune, I'm so sorry, it must've felt terrible for you to listen to us all brag about being Huntresses while you wanted to but couldn't!".

Yang smirked, slightly mortified by the same realization but teasing nonetheless. "Well, at least he got to know girls as hot as us", she said, elbowing him slightly in his side and making him wince. Ops... "Isn't that a plus in your wish list?".

Jaune massaged the hit spot with a sigh. "Yeah... kind of", he shrugged. "I mean, you're nice and all but... I kinda would've liked to get to know you as another student". He shook his head to clear it from the depressing thoughts. "Well, I'm kinda glad I didn't, though, otherwise I might have just splattered on the forest's ground during initiation, if what you told me is anything to go by", he commented lightly.

Ruby, Yang and Pyrrha looked horrified by the mental image, but Weiss was still frowning. "Do you really _not_ know who she is?", the heiress asked in a last attempt to save her partner's reputation from ignorant bartenders. "Nothing at all? Pyrrha Nikos. Ring any bells? Is any of this reaching that pea-sized brain of yours and turning into data for you to understand?".

Jaune blinked at the insult, not really knowing how to react to being flat-out insulted just because he didn't know someone, and not really knowing if he should snap back, given how she could probably kill him without using weapon, Aura nor Semblance. Probably with just her glares. "Ehm... okay?", he tried for the meek way, but from the way Weiss's eyes narrowed, it wasn't the right way. "Ehm... sure? I do? I mean, why's all this a big deal? Not to offend her nor anything, but I still don't know Yang's surname, either... is this any different? And I don't think I've even told you _my_ surname. Is hers different?". His eyes widened slightly. "Wait, does it mean something special? I mean, Ruby's pretty obvious, Weiss's means `snow` and I guess it fits, Yang's... I don't know, and yours? Does it mean anything?".

Pyrrha blinked in shock before shaking her head slightly. "Not that I know of".

Weiss was staring at him in disbelief. He couldn't have just said that... could he? She had just told him of Pyrrha's achievements and he had just focused on her surname. Was he doing it on purpose? Her eyes narrowed. Yeah, he must've been doing it on purpose. No one was _that_ ignorant or dismissive toward renowned champions. Just the thought of it made her want to kill him. To take that nice red tablecloth on the table on her right and wrap it around his neck _really really_ tight. He would first start to gasp and flail, then turn blue and eventually stop moving. Her tick mark pulsed one last time before it faded. She sighed.

 _'It's just not worth the jail time'_.

 ** _That's a something I have to tell myself several times a day._**

 ** _So, I said something about a holiday. Yep. From July the 21st to August the 2nd I'll go back to my home country, Italy. I'll have to take a plane for the first time in my life. I'll have to take a bus for the first time in my life. I'll have to endure something like 10 hours of travel. And I'll have to do it all on my own since no one in my family can/want to come with me. I just hope for it to be worth the hassle..._**

 ** _Sorry for having dropped this fic for so long, but I'm... well, me, and that should explain everything. When I have inspiration for something I usually follow it into the grave._**

 ** _Until next time,_**

 ** _Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh_**


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